Objects in Mirror are More Evil Than They Appear

"Karl Rove, the adviser who masterminded President Bush’s two winning presidential campaigns, is resigning, the White House confirmed today." (JIM RUTENBERG, New York Times)

Well, it’s about time. It’s about seven years too late, but we guess it’s better late than never.

Rove engineered to the White House possibly the worst president ever. And brought a new low level of bare-knuckle politicking that continues to be a standard even in local elections.

He has failed this president and the nation on so many levels; it is hard to list them all here. The Iraq War. Spying on American citizens. The outing of a CIA operative. A march to an imperial presidency. The firing of federal prosecutors. A dozen or so impeachable offenses. A new term for negative politicking: Swift-boating.

This information garnered from Wikipedia says it all:

"In 1960, at the age of nine, Rove decided to support Richard Nixon. According to Rove, "There was a little girl across the street who was Catholic and found out I was for Nixon, and she was avidly for Kennedy. She put me down on the pavement and waled on me and gave me a bloody nose. I lost my first political battle."

Had only that little girl completed the job.

So, summing up Karl Rove, this quote from Woody Allen comes to mind as appropriate:

“His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy.”

Bush: Worst Ever?

With Bush’s approval ratings roaring to a screeching 21% and the impeachment throngs gathering more and more support each day: There’s one guy that must be happy that Bush is still president: Millard Fillmore. He’s gotta be thinking, “Hosanna! I am not the worst president ever anymore!”

Bill Maher described Bush as "a smorgasbord of 'suck.' He -- he combines the corruption of Warren G. Harding, the war-mongering of James Polk, and the abuse of power of Richard Nixon.”

So, let’s check what the people at Wikipedia know about these former presidents on the “worst” list and how Bush stacks up, on a scale from 1-10.

Warren G. Harding: "Due to multiple scandals (Teapot Dome Scandal) involving others in his administration, Harding is ranked by most scholars as the worst President ever to serve. Indeed, Harding himself is often quoted as saying, 'I am not fit for this office and never should have been here.'" Well at least Harding had a realistic sense of himself and a cool middle name, Gamaliel. Bush is clueless, and has a just an initial, W

Warren v. W: Harding was a lazy president, and it was his people who perpetrated the TeaPot Dome scandal. Bush is clueless, but knows what kind of scandal mongering people to put in place. Close but, edge to Bush.

James Polk: “After the Texas annexation, Polk turned his attention to California, hoping to acquire the territory from Mexico before any European nation did so…Polk sent troops under General Zachary Taylor into the area between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande—territory that was claimed by both the U.S. and Mexico… [Polk] prepared to ask Congress for a declaration of war… Several congressmen, including a young Abraham Lincoln, expressed doubts about Polk's version of events, but Congress overwhelmingly approved the declaration of war, many Whigs fearing that opposition would cost them politically by casting themselves as unpatriotic for not supporting the war effort.”

"Congress overwhelmingly approved the declaration of war, many... fearing that opposition would cost them politically." Hmmm. Where have I heard that before?

Polk v W: Both lied to get us in to war. Polk's war gave us California; Bush's war cost us international respect, thousands dead. Not even close: Bush, by miles and miles.


Richard Nixon: Secret slush fund as VP candidate in 1952. Checkers Speech. Watergate break-in. Saturday Night Massacre ."Smoking Gun" tape. His impeachment. Hush money to Watergate burglar E. Howard Hunt. Not enough room to print everything about Nixon. But certainly, ‘Nuff said.
Nixon v. W: This is a tough one. Some of the same people were in both administrations Cheney, for one. Rehnquist , who was in the Nixon Administration, was appointed by Nixon to Supreme Court, and gave W the Presidency in 2000. Equally 'worst': Even up.

So, George you have made to the top ----or the bottom of the list. And it’s still 555 days till January 20, 2009.

May the time pass quickly.